To War
by PotassiumNickelIron
Summary: A mysterious essay by an unnamed Terran scientist from a pre-Avatar plot has been found. Somehow, it's been leaked onto this website.  Rated T for mild violent themes. An experiment in pre-Avatar fiction. Only an experiment, go easy.


**To War**

**by **

**PotassiumNickelIron**

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_**Author's note: The following is an essay seized from the Hell's Gate compound after the exile of humanity from Pandora. It documents a hunt by the Na'vi seen through the eyes of a fascinated scientist. The scientist has not been named yet. It is not known if he or she was allowed to stay on Pandora or not. A signature was included at the end, but it was damaged by the Na'vi after their seizure of Hell's Gate.**_

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I still remember the excitement I felt when Colonel Quaritch told us that a Na'vi battle was planned. I was fascinated that even while we were fighting to get to their land, they were doing exactly the same. I asked him rather politely if I could come along to watch, to which Quaritch told me something rather crude and unpublishable. But no matter.

Being part-time a Na'vi sociologist, I thought witnessing a battle would be the best thing ever to happen to me. Well, I suppose in some ways I was correct. In other ways, it was the most disturbing and terrible thing I have ever borne witness to. I suppose they regard this as the norm, but I just found it savage. Still, scientific bias gets one nowhere.

I am lucky enough to have an Avatar in reserve. I don't use it much because I often study rock samples for evidence of unobtanium, being a geologist officially. In the event, however, I have to do something sociological, I make use of the Avatar, like I was doing today. Using an Avatar is a weird experience. It's like a dream, a lucid dream, yet somehow real.

It's also very claustrophobic, especially when you aren't used to using an Avatar, like me. But still, duty called, and I had to watch this battle, there was no question about it. I had my camera and my notebook taken down to the area where Avatars are 'woken up', before proceeding to wake into my Avatar form.

The first thing that strikes you about being an Avatar is that your legs are _long. _Well, not just your legs, but from your human perspective, it looks that way. Waking up is quite an odd sensation, especially as Avatars don't have much in the way of bodily hair, resulting in no kind of goosebumps when you feel strange.

After getting a good night's rest—again, an odd thing, as you sleep twice at the same time, I was ready to go and get the study out of the way. I got dressed in out-and-about gear and a cap and jogged down to be with the soldiers. Quaritch did not look at all amused by my presence. After addressing the men, he came to me, and pushed me against a wall.

'Listen,' he said to me, 'I don't want you to talk to those freaks, do not make friends with them, not anything. You watch. You make sure that camera has no flash. You make sure you aren't using a clicky pen. You make sure you are invisible, do you understand me?'

'Sir, yes, sir,' I replied in an almost military fashion.

He was satisfied and left me alone. He's a terrifying and formidable soul, that man. Anyway, the platoon was going out, it seemed, to make sure the battle wasn't a set up to attack Hell's Gate. It appeared to be going on around the Hallelujah Mountains, leading to a long trek from one place to the other.

Several soldiers laid down with sniper rifles in preparation. I, in the meanwhile, escorted myself off into the jungle. Quaritch fired me a stabbing glance, but I managed to retreat to a handy distance to see whatever was about to happen.

I was not prepared for the sights I was about to see.

I remember taking a glance at my watch. It was a specially modified watch designed to deal with Pandoran time, converting it to a relative Earth time. As such, it was approximately eleven thirty. I was laying on a kind of grassy knoll, with a camera held at the ready, notebook and pencil laying there beside me.

I remember the fear coursing through my veins as I waited for something, anything, to come out there so I could take my pictures and make my notes. I was getting anxious, glancing cautiously at the band of soldiers about fifty metres away. I heard one of them click a rifle and continue laying in preparation for shooting.

The atmosphere was electric. I sat, breathing deeply as I watched carefully, barely blinking, beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I shook, feeling a need to both cry and laugh hysterically with excitement. I couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it was because there were soldiers, or that I wasn't used to my Avatar, but something was really, really setting my emotions out of whack.

Which was when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I looked left and realised that it was a Banshee. I quickly grabbed the camera and took several pictures of the great and mighty animal as it swooped down...and then I noticed who was on it.

With his queue connected to the creature, the warrior set about his opponents, who were approaching from the other side. Scribbling notes and taking pictures, I was fascinated by this aerial attack, yet disgusted as well. It was then I realised—I'm watching people dying out here. I tried to just hold on. This was their business, not mine. But they were dying, before my eyes.

I remember seeing a man swoop down. But instead of using his arrows, he touched his opponent with the bow, then swooped away. I speculated that the Na'vi believe touching your opponent is more honourable and skilled than to kill him. That said, there were deaths. I felt a strange mix of happiness and being utterly disturbed.

Which was when a soldier fired a shot.

Perhaps it was an accident, I don't know, but he hadn't used a muffler. Yes, I understand mufflers still make a gun sound loud, but, still, he hadn't used one. And the gun was audible for miles around. Quaritch gave him a loud reprimand as the swarm of banshees scattered and twirled, some away, some towards us.

I grabbed everything and ran. Terrified, I hurdled two tree stumps, hearing screeching up above. I ran, and I ran, my legs providing bounce as I threw myself through the jungle. I don't know if I was seen or not. I kept running until I reached the perimeter fence of Hell's Gate. Gasping for air, I ran down to an entrance and showed a card bearing my name and face to a man in a kiosk. The security guard nodded to me.

I walked in, holding my chest.

My findings were extraordinary, and terrifying. Some of my photos were slightly damaged but otherwise fine. My notes were also fantastic. But I felt I had to write the full story, which is what I am doing now.

Lights-out is fast approaching, and I hope one day to publish this essay. Apparently, we're expecting the ISV _Venture Star _in a couple of weeks. It sounds exciting. A friend of a friend told me Tom Sully might be on board—this is equally as exciting. I'm looking forward to it, definitely. Well, that's it, I suppose. Goodnight to all those reading this out there. Goodnight.

SIGNED

M. P(E? A? F? B? C?)

_**

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_**Author's note: The last part of the essay was torn, and the last letter has not been properly identified. and the person who wrote it has not been found yet—either that, or he or she does not wish to be identified. It's generally kept that way. To War is currently being held within Site 14, near the Omaticaya Hometree.**_


End file.
